TUMULAK CLAN ASSOCIATION INC. OFFICIAL WEBSITE

My name is Celso Escaba Tumulak Jr., a 6th generation descendant of this genealogy. I would like to acknowledge my father Celso Abogaa Tumulak for compiling majority of these records. My father started his research on our blood heritage almost three decades ago to comply with Heavenly Father?s commandment to seek out and learn about our genealogy. My father & I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Majority of the 6th generation Tumulak descendants based on this family tree are born and raised at Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. We are a small group of family members who are raised with conservative values that include respect for the elders, hard work, honesty, and taught by our elders that education will not only free us of temporal hardship but also free our minds to seek what is best for us.

Most of us went and finish grade school and high school in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. A few then went to Manila, myself included to pursue and finish college. Our branch in this family tree is interesting because it sets as apart from the previous generations in terms of our individual goals in life, religion, career, leadership, education and among others. I say the 6th generation also improved the 7th generation by marrying smart and fine looking spouses that enhanced the good quality Tumulak DNA.

As you continue to read on, this short reference will take you to a journey of the past where you will realize that we have an illustrious family history.

I remember when I was small, during special occasions when we have parties together with my cousins, my grandmother Ramoncita Gabia Abogaa Tumulak, and my paternal uncles always say to us that the family descended from the first known Filipino hero named Lapu-lapu. As everybody knows, Lapu-lapu was a sultan in one of the many sultanates in Cebu during pre-Spanish era. He killed Magellan during a bloody confrontation when the Spaniards wanted to annex Cebu, and govern the island under the king of Spain. Eventually, not only Cebu became a colony of Spain but the whole country as well. It was at this time that members of the Lapu-lapu family were being sought by the Spanish authorities to punish them for what their patriarch Sultan Lapu-lapu did to Magellan. Magellan at this time was also hailed a hero in Spain as the first sea captain to circumnavigate and prove to the world that the Earth is round after all and not square.

The Lapu-lapu descendants fearing that they will be chastised for what the grand patriarch did to Magellan in due course changed their last name to Tumulak. Research would later reveal that when the Spanish colonial masters mandated all Filipinos to register their names in the sitio for record purposes, almost everybody altered & modified their apellidos or surnames to indicate a Spanish last name. The Tumulak Family, maybe because of pried did not alter its last name. And as you can observe, we are a very Filipino name, not Spanish at all.

The earliest documentation we have on our forefathers is Juan Tumulak. He had a son named Victor de la Serna Tumulak who was born March 6, 1851. I approximate that maybe Juan Tumulak was born sometime between 1820 to 1830. Victor de la Serna Tumulak then had a son on September 6, 1888 & named him Julian Montesclaros Tumulak. Julian married a peninsulares named Dorotea Rejis Escario from the powerful & rich Escario clan of Bantayan, Cebu. My research indicated that Agustin Tumulak, the powerful politician, mayor, businessman, and philanthropist of Lapu-lapu City/Mandaue City during the American commonwealth era was Julian?s brother. Please refer to attached power point presentation where you will also find the family branches of Agustin & the other sibling Santiago.

Going back to Julian, I found out that he was also a political kingpin in the northern part of Cebu during pre-world war II period. He served as mayor for Medellin, Cebu for many years. It is good to note that my father and his older brother Leo Abogaa Tumulak were born in Medellin, Cebu. I remember seeing a picture of my great grandfather Julian with then Senate President Manuel Roxas maybe campaigning or having cocktails. We know that later on after World War II, Manuel Roxas became the president of the Philippines.

This part of the chronicle is unfortunate, one of my aunts mentioned that during world war II, my Lolo Julian was apparently kidnapped, probably tortured then killed by the Japanese Imperial Army for aiding the US & Filipino guerillas fight the Japanese government. Until now the body of Lolo Julian has not been found.

My grandfather Victoriano Escario Tumulak was born with a silver spoon. Rumor has it that the family at this time even speaks Spanish as their vernacular at home. Lolo Nonong as he was fondly called by family members went to college in Manila. Remember that when he went to college, the Philippines was still a commonwealth of the US. Their family must really have been wealthy for them to send him & his siblings to the capital to attend school. A younger brother of Lolo Nonong was attending law school in Manila when he died on his way back to Cebu just as the war started.

Victoriano Escario Tumulak married Ramoncita Gabia Abogaa from Cagayan de Oro City. The couple lived for a few years at Medellin, Cebu prior to settling for good in Cagayan de Oro. My grandmother was a fantastic cook. Until now in my almost 39 years of existence, I have yet to find the atsara that can beat my Lola Deding?s.

Victoriano & Ramoncita have seven children. Leo is a civil engineer & the eldest, married to Elsa Gatchalian and has 3 children. Nora is next with Ricky as her only son who married Dara. My father Celso married Milagros Espanillo Escaba, there are four of us in this family with Sue Celle a physician as the eldest, myself, Leily who recently got married to greek-american Phil Kraverotis, and Dale Nephi, my younger brother who is based at Dubai.

After Papa are my two beautiful twin aunts. The first one is Minda who has two children named Rammin & Ramon Tumulak. The next is aunt Minda?s twin sister who we call Mommy Delsa. She has a daughter named Rachel Kelly who is married with 2 boys. After Aunt Minda & Mommy Delsa is Uncle Alfeo, an agriculturist by profession and based at Buenavista, Agusan Sur. He has a daughter named Adelyn, a registered nurse married to a police officer. The youngest sibling of my father is Victoriano Jr, he died a couple of years ago. Uncle Junior has 5 children with Josefina Mendiola.

The eldest of the 6th generation Tumulak is Rammin Tumulak, he is married to Rosamie Ewag and is based at Florida, USA with his family. Nong Bong as we fondly call him has 2 daughters. Ramon Tumulak is next, his family is based in Opon, Cebu. He has 4 children with Shiera Sano. Rachel is the next cousin, she is married with 2 boys and currently based at Atlanta in Georgia, USA. Next is Manang Sue Celle a MD, she is married to Maximo Saavedra , also a physician. They have a daughter named Ashley Nicole. I am next in line but I will talk about myself last. Next in line is Ricky. He is married to Dara and together they have 4 children. After Ricky is Rusty, he is an electrical engineering by profession, married with 1 daughter named CJ. Rusty is currently doing business at Cagayan de Oro. Next to Rusty is his younger brother Janus.

Janus is a golfer like the writer but with a lower handicap. He is married and has 2 daughters, and recently had a son named Isaiah Kondrad. He is an electrical engineer by profession but does business in Dipolog City, Philippines. Next is cousin Walter, a musician based at Cagayan de Oro, still single. Leily is next, she is a registered nurse by profession & recently got married to Phil Kraverotis. Leily is based at Savannah in Georgia, USA. We have Christina as next cousin, she is married and based at Cagayan de Oro. Next cousin is Sheila, she is based at Singapore, and recently just had a son. After Sheila is my younger brother Dale Nephi, he is single and based at Dubai. Adelyn is next by age, she is a registered nurse by profession, married and has 1 child. She is based at Buenavista, Agusan Sur with her police officer husband. Marc Joone is next, single, based at Cagayan de Oro. Michael is next in line by age, he has a daughter from an ex-German girlfriend. Michael is a former US Navy sailor based in Florida, and currently in school for a Radiology Tech License. The youngest among the cousin is Joy Jovic, she is based at Florida in USA and just graduated high school.

I plan to go to Medellin and Bantayan, Cebu in the next couple of months to further examine the records and update our genealogy. Please see genealogy of the website for more reference.

To the cousins, please update your respective records and email back to me so I can update our geneaology.

For Alex, uncle Calixto?s son, please inquire from your father where your branch came from. I would assume your lineage came from the well loved politician & benefactor Agustin Tumulak , the younger brother of our Lolo Victor Tumulak. I would appreciate it if you can email me back for any additional information.

For comments, additional information on your respective families, or just for anything, please email me at [email protected] or at [email protected]

The writer is Celso Tumulak Jr., married to Dawn Inocencia Baaclo Lunar. We have 5 children and are based at Texas in USA. I am a registered nurse by profession and an alumna of the University of the Philippines. I will start graduate school to finish my MBA at the University of Texas this winter.